


never fallen from quite this high

by inlovewithimpossibility



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Flying, Pining, Quidditch, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28191834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: when ilvermony transfer student, felicity smoak, turns seventh year slytherin, oliver queen’s world upside down, he doesn’t know what to do. they’re swept up in a world of flying, muggle math, and love
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 22
Kudos: 90





	never fallen from quite this high

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MagusLibera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagusLibera/gifts).



> Okay, this is the latest birthday present in the world, but Abby, I love you so so so so much! Thank you for being the greatest friend and a lifeline through this godawful year. You're the sweetest, kindest, and one of the most talented people I've ever met and I love you so much, I hope you enjoy this mash up of some of your favourite worlds <3 
> 
> If you haven't read Abby's work, go check them out here because you seriously won't regret it: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagusLibera

The first of September brings with it a feeling of homecoming each and every year. 

Oliver loves being home for the summer, getting to spend time with Thea and spending his days with Tommy, making their usual mischief. This summer has been especially fun considering both he and Tommy are now 17 and their underage magic restrictions have been lifted. Spending an entire summer at home when they can apparate and use their wands whenever they want has been incredible. 

Despite that, Oliver cannot deny the anticipation that flows through him when he awakens on the first of September and looks over to see his trunk already packed and ready to head back to Hogwarts. He grins happily, rising from his bed and dressing in his jeans and shirt, making sure that his uniform is folded neatly in the top of his trunk, ready to change into on the train when they begin to approach Hogwarts. 

“Oliver! Come grab some breakfast before we need to leave for King’s Cross!” His mother’s voice yells up the stairs and he grins as he runs his hands through his hair, before he flicks his wand at his trunk to make it follow him down the stairs. 

“Ugh, show off,” Thea huffs from where she’s stood at the bottom of them, arms crossed over her little chest and her hip popped in the way she’s just learned to do. 

“Good morning, Thea,” Oliver smiles at his baby sister but she just huffs and runs in the other direction, her eyes rolling as she does so. Oliver frowns but makes his way into the kitchen to find his mom plating up some eggs for him. 

“Good morning,” She smiles warmly at him, placing the plate in front of one of the stalls by the island and Oliver smiles thankfully, sipping the coffee that’s already there. 

“What’s up with her?” He questions as he gestures through the hall to where Thea just ran and Moira chuckles, looking affectionately over to where Thea is glancing around the kitchen doorway. 

“You know your sister, she wants to come with you,” His mother whispers, smiling over at the nine-year-old and Oliver sighs, shaking his head as he turns to look at her too. 

“Hey Speedy, c’mere,” Oliver smiles softly as he calls her over and Thea frowns, obviously surprised at being caught in her obviously very inconspicuous hiding place. She regards Oliver with a dubious expression but makes her way over, a smile crossing her face as Oliver lifts her easily up onto his lap. “You know you’ll be at Hogwarts before you know it, right?” 

“Yeah, but I won’t get to be there at the same time as you,” Thea replies softly, a pout crossing her small face in the way that has always made Oliver melt since she was born nine years ago. 

“Oh I see. You’re right, that does suck, but hey, I’m going to teach you everything I know about the castle and all your classes so when you do go, you’ll be able to blow all the other firsties out the water,” He assures her with a smile, booping her on the end of the nose when he finishes. She’s starting to grow out of wanting to spend time with them all and is more interested in her friends and magazines but every so often, they all get moments like this with her that they treasure. 

“You will?” Thea asks, hope crossing her face and Oliver smiles, brushing a hand gently over her hair. 

“Of course! We’ve got the family name of Queen to uphold after all,” Oliver teases, straightening his back and putting on a posher voice with a grin. 

“Oh yes! It’s very important that we uphold the family image,” Thea joins in, correcting her own posture and they both fall into laughter when they spot their mother watching them with an amused yet reproachful expression. 

“Alright you two, if you’re done insulting your parents,” Another voice chuckles and Oliver looks up with a smile to see his father entering the kitchen in his usual work robes, smiling affectionately at them. 

“Morning, Dad,” Oliver smiles as Thea slips off his lap and collects her own breakfast from their mother. 

“Good morning, Oliver. Ready for your last first day?” Robert asks, stopping for a moment to kiss Thea on the head as she rushes past him. 

“I’m ready for school. Not sure I’m ready for it to be the last,” Oliver explains with a small smile, tucking into his own breakfast with gusto. 

“You’ll do fantastically. Just study hard for those NEWTs and the place in the auror academy will be yours,” Robert reminds him and Oliver takes a deep breath, the ever constant pressure he feels from his father’s expectations weighing down on him once more. His father is very set on his becoming an auror, even though Oliver’s rather sure that’s not what he wants to do. 

“I won’t let you down, Dad,” Oliver nods, smiling softly at him over his fork and Robert nods, his expression softening a little. That right there is why Oliver knows he will do what his father wants, because he doesn’t want to give up that look of pride shining in his father’s eyes. 

“Come on then, we better get a move on if you want to get to the platform on time. Thea, are you coming with me or your father?” Moira questions once they’ve all eaten and she glances at the clock ticking on the wall. 

“Daddy!” Thea calls assuredly, practically throwing herself into her father’s arms and they all chuckle at her clear favouritism of their father. Thea’s always been a daddy’s girl and there’s something comforting to Oliver that it will always be that way. 

“I got you, munchkin,” Robert grins with an affectionate smile, adjusting the small girl so that she’s balanced on his hip in his arms. 

“Time to go back to school,” Oliver comments with a grin as he heads to grab his trunk. 

They apparate to a side alley just around the corner from Kings Cross and from there, it’s a short walk into the station to the wall where Platform 9 meets Platform 10. Oliver glances around, shaking his head at how obvious some of the wizards are as they make their way to the platform. A few of them turn heads from the surrounding muggles and it once again baffles Oliver how some magical folk can be so oblivious to the fact that muggles don’t wear robes and pointy hats and that you’ll draw attention to yourself if you wear such items out in the muggle world. 

“Come on, Ollie!” Thea calls and Oliver shakes his head, taking a deep breath and fortifying himself as he runs at the brick wall, releasing a sigh of relief when he comes out on the other side. Tommy has always made fun of him for being scared of slamming into the wall but Oliver’s heard stories of the portal closing randomly on people and the concept of smashing into a wall isn’t exactly on top of the list of his priorities. 

He lets out a sigh of contentment as he looks up at the bright red train that will take him back to school for his last year at Hogwarts. He feels like he did as a wee little firstie as he stares up at it now, in complete amazement of its beauty and the promise of a year of fun and revelry it will bring. 

“Ollie!” 

Oliver whirls around at the sound of his name and a grin splits across his face at the sight of Tommy Merlyn. His best friend, dressed in a muggle band t-shirt that Oliver knows he will have already had an argument with his father about this morning, and a pair of jeans rushes over to him in excitement, the two of them meeting in an intense hug that has they swaying back and forth with the impact. Oliver notes over his shoulder their parents greeting each other and chuckling at the two of them but he ignores it, knowing that this moment finally marks being able to step away from his father’s intense pressure, even just for a little bit. 

“Tommy! We’re seventh years, man! We’re old!” Oliver exclaims with a laugh as they pull away and Tommy grins, reaching up to ruffle Oliver’s hair. 

“You’re the one looking like Merlin’s left ballsack,” His best friend comments charmingly and Oliver laughs, rolling his eyes. His dynamic with Tommy has been like this from the get-go, even since they were kids, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. He remembers how terrified his best friend had been when he got sorted into Gryffindor, unlike Oliver’s Slytherin, but Oliver assured him that it would have no mark on their friendship, and it hasn’t. In fact, Oliver’s pretty sure that  _ not  _ having to share a room with Tommy for seven years has only improved their relationship. 

“Good to see you too, buddy,” Oliver chuckles with an affectionate shake of the head, turning to face his parents and Thea to say goodbye before they board the train for one last year of school. 

* * *

The train ride up to the Scottish Highlands flies by in a flurry of catching up with old friends and card games that has Tommy pouting because he’s still the sorest loser at seventeen years old. Before Oliver knows it, they’ve taken their last ride in the carriages up to the castle and are sitting at the Slytherin table, having just listened to McGonagall welcome them back to Hogwarts for the very last time. 

As his peers around him all dig into the feast, some of them making an effort to speak to the new first years of the house, Oliver finds himself distracted by a sight half the hall over. Sat across from them at the Hufflepuff table is a girl Oliver doesn’t recognise. She looks to be at least a sixth year and Oliver is immediately captivated by her blonde curls and warm face. She’s smiling at those around her as they talk and Oliver has no idea what it is about her that is so captivating, but he can’t look away. 

“Who’s that girl over there at the Huffepuff table?” He questions, nudging Tommy to alert him to the girl’s presence and Oliver watches as his friend frowns, no recognition covering his face. 

“Don’t know, haven’t seen her before, pretty though,” Tommy comments nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders before he turns back to the toad in the hole he’s in the process of scarfing down. 

“More than, wonder why we don’t know her,” Oliver frowns, his attention still very much on the blonde. 

“Maybe she’s new,” Tommy shrugs again, pushing Oliver out of the way a little so that he can reach for the gravy boat again. 

“She’s got to be at least a sixth year. How’d she be new?” Oliver asks, his frown deepening as he watches the girl laugh at something, the melodic sound reaching his ears and sending a soothing feeling through him. 

“I don’t know, Ollie, but I don’t know why you don’t know her either,” Tommy sighs, rolling his eyes and Oliver frowns, unable to take his eyes off of her. 

“Hi Ollie.” 

Oliver frowns at the sound of his nickname and turns to see a tall brunette stood behind the bench he and Tommy are seated at. 

“Oh hey, Laurel,” He greets with a small smile, ignoring the sinking feeling in his chest. 

Laurel Lance. The perfect fit for Oliver... according to his parents. It’s not that Oliver doesn’t like the brunette Gryffindor. She has her sweet moments and she’s pretty, but Oliver doesn’t feel like they have anything in common aside from their family’s wish for them to date. 

That’s just not enough for Oliver. 

“How was your summer?” Laurel asks with a pretty smile and Oliver shrugs with a polite smile of his own. He knows that Laurel is more than down for their parents’ plan for them to date and something about that makes him very uncomfortable. 

“It was good. Mostly spent it with Thea in the pool or out with Tommy,” He explains to her with a small smile and her smile grows. 

“I loved your family’s pool when we came last Christmas. Maybe we could do that again this year?” She asks, her eyes lighting up and Oliver frowns, remembering the way that Laurel hadn’t even gotten in the pool despite Thea asking her multiple times to play with her. Thank goodness, Laurel’s sister, Sara, had been there and played with the girl practically all day, or Oliver knows there would’ve been tears from his baby sister. 

“Well Dad organised that, so we’ll see,” He comments with a shrug, not wanting to commit to anything. 

“Right, of course,” Laurel nods, looking a little put out and Oliver internally winces. Laurel’s nice enough and he doesn’t want to be mean, he just doesn’t want to date her. 

“How was your summer?” He asks in an effort to reach out and Laurel’s face lights up. 

“It was great! Daddy took us to Paris and the shops there are just to die for!” 

“Oh right yeah, I think my mum likes shopping there,” Oliver frowns, not really knowing anything about shopping or Paris. 

“Did you buy anything nice, Laurel?” Tommy asks, sending Oliver a dirty look and Oliver frowns, confused at his friend’s annoyance. 

“This necklace actually. It was a birthday present from Daddy,” Laurel grins, delicately clasping the silver necklace between her perfectly manicured nails. It’s a pretty little silver bird, encrusted with some jewels that Oliver can’t remember the names of. 

“It’s pretty,” Oliver nods with a small smile and Laurel grins, nodding her head as she tucks it back into the shirt of her uniform. 

“I think it’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen, Sara agrees,” Laurel smiles and Oliver nods, relief sinking through him when the younger Lance sister, Sara, appears next to her with an amused expression on her face. 

“Sara has no opinion on your jewellery, actually Laurel. Hi guys, good summers?” The fifth year questions, looking between the two of them with a grin. 

“Great, you?” Oliver asks with a genuine smile. He’s always got on with Sara easily. She’s a genuine person with similar interests to Oliver. She’s a little too young for him to have ever considered dating her, but she’s a good friend and Oliver is grateful for that. 

“Yeah, really fun. Did loads of training, more than ready to get back on the pitch,” Sara grins, nodding at Tommy and Oliver chuckles. Sara is the Gryffindor team’s star chaser and Tommy’s been touted as the best beater the team has seen since the Weasley twins. 

“We’re going to knock em dead this year, Sara,” Tommy grins, glancing at Oliver with a smirk and he rolls his eyes, knowing that the Slytherin team has their work cut out for them but that they can definitely bring the Gryffindors down. 

“There’s as much chance of that as me finding all the Deathly Hallows,” Oliver scoffs, shaking his head at the Gryffindors and Sara laughs. 

“Calm down, Potter Queen,” She laughs and affectionately taps Tommy’s shoulder before she heads back around to the Gryffindor table. 

“Well, I’ll see you around, Oliver,” Laurel calls before she follows her sister, smiling at Oliver and he nods, his smile fading back to polite. 

“Yeah, see you Laurel,” Oliver replies absent-mindedly as his eyes drift back over to the unknown blonde two tables over. She’s smiling as she speaks to the girl next to her and Oliver cannot help but stare at the way that the lightness brightens not only her own face, but seems to dissipate around her, as if she’s full of so much light she just can’t keep it in. 

* * *

It takes a few days for Oliver to see the mystery blonde again but she doesn’t leave his mind. As he settles into his classes, he keeps an eye out for her and she’s sat across the room in a few but she pays such rapt attention that Oliver doesn’t get a chance to properly introduce himself. 

Their actual meeting comes completely accidentally, and accidentally is the right word, because it happens as Oliver is rushing down the corridor, very close to being late to potions. He rushes round the corner slightly too quickly and doesn’t look where he’s going, meaning he doesn’t see the girl he smashes straight into, watching her tumble back onto the ground and sending the books and parchment she’s holding flying. 

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!” 

It’s not until she sits up and brushes the blonde curls from her face that Oliver realises it’s his mystery girl. Her blonde hair falls a little messily around her head following her tumble and she adjusts the two-tone glasses she wears, wincing at him apologetically. Oliver immediately picks up on the lilt in her accent, she sounds American, if he’s not mistaken, and that just makes her even more curious. 

“I’m the one who wasn’t looking where he was going! Here, let me help you,” He shakes his head, feeling awful that he made her fall but also internally celebrating that fate has brought them to meet. 

“I am such a clutz, always falling feet over head, and here I am rambling about falling over. Merlin, I’m so sorry, I will stop talking in 3, 2, 1…” She babbles and Oliver cannot stop himself from smiling as he collects her items before helping her up. He stretches out a hand and feels a jolt stretch through him, a different kind of magic, unlike the kind he wields with his wand. He blinks for a moment, looking up to see her staring at him with a similar confusion and amazement he feels before she shakes her head and both of them stand. He hands her the books and she smiles gratefully, shifting things in her hand until she’s holding them all properly. 

“You’re fine, seriously, don’t stress. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before?” Oliver frowns with a smile still pulling at his face and the blonde blushes prettily, brushing her hair back. 

“Oh no, you wouldn’t have. I’m Felicity Smoak, new transfer from Ilvermony. Typical luck, my mom transfers jobs across an ocean right as I go into my seventh year but here we are. New kid just for a year,” She shrugs a little sheepishly, smiling up at Oliver bashfully and Oliver grins, totally charmed. Her accent is adorable and she’s just lovely… he’s never had this kind of reaction to a girl before and that peaks his curiosity. 

“Oliver Queen, Seventh Year Slytherin. That’s an adjustment for sure! How’re you settling in?” He asks with a smile after introducing himself, finding himself wanting to ask absolutely everything about her. 

“Well, it’s only been a night… but pretty well? The other seventh year Hufflepuff girls are lovely and the castle is stunning, there’s nothing manmade this old in the US, not anymore anyway but that’s a conversation for another day,” She talks incredibly quickly, gesturing around her to the hall they’re stood in and Oliver nods with a smile, never having met anyone who babbles quite like her before. He thinks it’s a trait he might find irritating elsewhere but with Felicity, he just thinks it’s charming. 

“Right,” He grins, nodding his head. He knows he probably looks a total fool, just staring at her with a grin on his face and he shakes his head, trying not to blush as she smiles at him, a look on her face as if she’s trying to decipher him. 

“We better get going. What do you have?” She questions after a moment and Oliver nods, clearing his throat. 

“Potions.” 

“Me too! Mind walking with me? I still haven’t got the lay of the land just yet,” Felicity asks with a wince and Oliver chuckles, nodding his head. He remembers what it was like during first year when he didn’t know the castle, he was late to class so many times that year. 

“Oh of course not, the castle is beautiful but it is confusing,” He laughs as he gestures for her to walk next to him and Felicity smiles prettily, falling into step next to him. 

“It’s the staircases moving for me,” She comments with a chuckle and Oliver laughs with a nod. 

“Yeah, there’s a lot about the castle that doesn’t make that much sense but it’s home,” Oliver shrugs with a smile, sighing with a little melancholy as he realises that every moment this year is also a last. 

“That’s so sweet. So, the potions professor, what’re they like?” Felicity asks, smiling at him and Oliver is grateful for the change in conversation, swallowing thickly. 

“Professor Slughorn’s lovely, he just loves a hard worker who flatters him,” Oliver chuckles as he thinks of the old man and his head of house. He’s a lovely man really, even if his obsession with ‘collecting’ high achievers is more than a little odd. 

“I can flatter,” Felicity nods with an appraising look and Oliver chuckles, nodding his head. 

“I’m sure you can,” He grins, smiling at her as they fall into step with each other. Despite having only known her for a few moments, he feels an instant connection with this girl and he is very much looking forward to seeing where it may go. 

* * *

He sees Felicity a few more times after that. They fall into the habit of walking to potions together and that turns into her joining him and Tommy on the way to some of their other classes too. Everything Oliver learns about her, he finds himself wanting to know more. She’s just an incredible human who Oliver feels such a connection with, he’s amazed by her and everything about her. 

It’s a cold Tuesday morning when he makes his usual trip down to the Quidditch pitch early in the morning just as the sun is beginning to rise. He likes to come down here in the morning and just fly, it clears his head and reminds him of what he truly loves.

What he doesn’t expect, is to see the girl who’s been consuming nearly his every waking thought sat in the middle of the pitch. She’s dressed in her uniform already, and there are a plethora of flowers floating around her. She’s clearly concentrating on them, using her magic to keep them afloat, and Oliver is taken aback by how ethereal she looks. She could be some kind of natural goddess from this image alone. 

“What are you doing out here this early?” Oliver asks as he approaches the small blonde sat in the middle of the pitch. She jumps at the sound of his voice, clearly not expecting to be disturbed, and the flowers her magic were keeping afloat around her fall to the floor. 

“Oliver! You scared me!” Felicity exclaims, turning to look at him with shock written over her face. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you jump. May I?” He questions, gesturing to the patch of grass next to the American and Felicity nods, smiling warmly at him as he settles down on the slightly wet turf. 

“I like it out here early in the mornings, it’s peaceful,” Felicity answers his initial question after a beat of silence, her gaze drifting back to the goals at the other end of the pitch. 

“I agree. It’s my favourite time to be out here,” Oliver smiles, unable to miss how the rising sun catches in the blonde locks of her hair. It bathes her in a beautiful light, making her look almost ethereal. She’s so beautiful, Oliver cannot help but stare. 

“I’m sorry, I can go if you want to fly,” Felicity winces, looking between Oliver and the broom he’s placed on the floor next to him apologetically. The wooden stick gives a twitch as if aching to be in the air but Oliver ignores it, wanting to stay with Felicity for as long as possible. 

“No, you’re fine. It’s more about enjoying the light. I can take you up for the best view in the house if you want?” He offers as he looks up at the rising sun for a moment, knowing that if you hover by the goalposts, you get the most glorious view of the sun rising over the castle. 

“Is it safe?” Felicity looks nervously between Oliver and the broom, trepidation clear in her tone. Oliver chuckles, knowing that when the only part of flying you’ve seen is Quidditch and its brutality, flying probably does seem terrifying. 

“More than. No balls hurtling towards you when it’s just us on the pitch,” Oliver chuckles and Felicity does too. 

“That one last weekend did look brutal,” She winces and Oliver snorts, remembering the way his best friend knocked him right off his broom in their match against Gryffindor last weekend. 

“I think Tommy delights in it,” He chuckles and Felicity grins, nodding her head. “But it’s totally safe. Flying’s actually the safest way to travel, or so they say.” 

“You know, I think that’s in reference to no-maj airplanes,” Felicity grins, shaking her head amusedly and Oliver shrugs, a teasing smile on his face. 

“I won’t let you fall,” He assured her, his expression growing more serious as he extends a hand towards her. 

Felicity stares at his hand for a moment, clearly unsure as to what to do, but then she reaches out and slides her soft palm into Oliver’s own. He can’t help but note how perfectly they fit together as he stands and helps her from the ground. 

He sends her an excited grin as he mounts his broom and turns back to her, ready for her to climb on. 

“What’s the best way to do this? In front of you, behind, sideways, front on? There’s so many options,” Felicity stares at him and Oliver cannot stop the snort that bubbles through his throat. It’s clear that Felicity had no concept of how her words could’ve been interpreted and she flushes bright red as the dual interpretation dawns on her. “I didn’t mean... oh Merlin!”

“You’re cute when you blush,” Oliver comments without really thinking but it makes him smile when Felicity’s blush only deepens, a small, nervous smile painting over her lips simultaneously. 

“Well you’re cute always. I mean, not cute, well I do mean cute... handsome, you’re very attractive,” She rambles and Oliver laughs, totally delighted by her babbling. She’s so endearing and yet again, Oliver finds himself desperate to know more. 

“Well thank you. C’mere, I think you’ll feel most secure like this,” He smiles and guides her to mount the broom in front of him so that he has to wrap his arms around her to steer. It is the way he can most easily make sure she’s safe but he’s not complaining at the fact that it means he gets to hold her close with his front pressed almost entirely to her back. Her hair smells of apples, freshly picked like the ones from their backyard orchard and Oliver smiles as it mixes with the earthy smell of her perfume. It’s heaven in a sniff and he knows he’d happily drown in it forever. 

“Okay, ready,” Felicity breathes out, clearly still nervous but settled and Oliver smiles, making sure to be careful as he kicks off the ground and flies them up into the air. Felicity gasps loudly but a quick glance at her face assures Oliver that it’s in delight. There’s a bright grin on her face that makes Oliver grin too and he has to remind himself to concentrate on the broom rather than get swept up in the American’s beauty. 

He picks up speed a little as they approach the goals and Felicity lets out a melodic laugh as the wind picks up and sweeps through her hair. Oliver grins and slows them to a stop, turning them at the last minute so that they’re hovering by the middle goal and facing the castle. 

“Oh my Merlin, you’re right. That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Felicity gasps in amazement, leaning her weight back against Oliver a little as she takes in the sun as it just peaks over the turret of Ravenclaw tower. 

“It’s quite something,” Oliver smiles, taking a moment to appreciate how wonderful it feels to share this with someone and how much he enjoys holding Felicity in his arms. 

They stay there for around half an hour, until the sun is firmly in the sky and the castle begins to wake up with the odd student venturing out into the grounds before breakfast. Oliver sits content on the broom, making sure he keeps them steady as he watches Felicity more than he does the sun, totally amazed by the way the morning light dances through her hair. 

“We should go if we want to eat before class. But thank you for sharing this with me,” Felicity breaks the silence, turning a little to smile at him. Oliver grins too, straightening up so that he’s ready to fly them back down. 

“Of course, it was nice to share it with you,” He assures her, making sure she’s ready before he slowly swoops them down to the ground and across the pitch to the entrance nearest the castle. He allows her to step off first before he dismounts, smiling as she quickly gathers her notebook and checks her wand is still tucked safely behind her ear. “Give me sec to put this away and I’ll walk with you to breakfast?” 

“I’d love that,” Felicity smiles at him and Oliver grins, elated at her agreement. He basically runs to the shed to stow his precious broom away carefully before he runs back out to see Felicity waiting by the door. 

He gives her a smile which she returns, bouncing a little on her feet. It makes Oliver smile, she has such a zest for life and she finds enjoyment in the little things. It’s the sort of joy Oliver has lost over the past few years as the pressure of fitting into his parents’ idea of what his life should be has pressed down upon him. Spending time with Felicity, however, is teaching him how to find that joy again and he’s so grateful to her for that. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Felicity asks after a little while of them walking side by side in comfortable silence. 

“Of course.”

“You love flying. That much is clear. I never see you so happy as when you’re in the air,” Felicity comments, clearly a little nervous. Her steps slow and she looks over at Oliver just glancing past the curtain of her hair. 

“I don’t really see the question there,” Oliver comments with a chuckle, trying to put her at ease and Felicity rolls her eyes, shaking her head at him amusedly. 

“I’m getting to it,” She warns, sending him a warning look that is completely negated by the smirk on her face. 

“Alright,” Oliver counters, narrowing his eyes teasingly and Felicity grins before she takes a deep breath, her expression turning more serious. 

“So why are you so set on being an auror? Don’t get me wrong, you’re smart and all, but I don’t see you finding as much joy in Defence Against the Dark Arts class as you do on the Quidditch pitch,” Felicity questions with a frown, looking at him with a clearly curious expression. Oliver takes a deep breath, knowing that her question is completely valid, but it throws him because it’s something he’s been grappling with a lot lately. 

“My dad’s an auror. It’s just what’s expected of me,” He finally answers, taking a deep breath as he shrugs his shoulders. He looks over to see Felicity’s quizzical frown deepening, the bafflement clear on her face. 

“He wouldn’t want you to do what makes you happy?” She asks and Oliver has to resist the urge to snort. Oh how he wishes he could just do what makes him happy but that’s not how his family works. 

“We’ve talked about it, playing Quidditch professionally, that is. The thing is... you’ve got to be the best of the best and my dad wouldn’t even entertain the idea of my playing for a smaller league. It’d have to be a premier team, with a hope of making national team one day,” Oliver sighs, remembering how his hopes of maybe playing professionally had been dashed at the mere age of twelve. He still remembers the way his father looked at him and told him ‘ _ Oliver, you’re just not good enough to do that’.  _

“And? Oliver, you’re the best player in school,” Felicity frowns, looking at him as if he’s grown two heads and Oliver freezes, totally baffled by her immediate support and belief. He doesn’t know her all that well and yet, here she is, showing him more confidence in his skills than he’s received from his family in years. 

“I just... what if I’m not good enough?” He questions just as they reach the castle, stopping in the doorway of the entrance. Oliver turns to face her, feeling more vulnerable than he has in a long time as his guard falls down. He doesn’t know what it is about Felicity, but she just makes him want to bare his entire soul. It’s like he knows she’ll handle it with the utmost care. 

Felicity’s expression softens, looking at him with sympathy and understanding. Oliver feels her look, as if he knows how deeply she gets his words, and he stares at her for a moment as her brow furrows and she clearly begins to think deeply. 

“How fast is the fastest chaser playing right now?” She asks after a moment, looking to Oliver quizzically and it’s his turn to frown at her question. 

“I don’t know, that’s not really how it’s worked out,” Oliver frowns, shaking his head as he realises that he has no idea where to even begin answering her query. 

“I get that. But you’ve got all the technique, there’s no move you can’t handle. You’ve even got the Porskoni Pig down,” Felicity counters, her brow furrowing in the most adorable way as she clearly struggles to remember the name of the play. 

“Porskoff Ploy,” Oliver corrects gently with a small snort, his grin only growing when Felicity bats him away with a wave of her hand. 

“Whatever. Your speed, that’s what we need to work on,” She elaborates, nodding her head with a content smile as if she’s just solved the mystery of Oliver’s life. 

He wouldn’t put it past her; Oliver’s learning very quickly not to bet against Felicity Smoak. 

“We?” 

“I’m going to help you, and we’re going to use math to do so,” Felicity grins, bouncing excitedly on her feet again as Oliver frowns. 

“Maths? Like the muggle school subject?” He questions confusedly, really not having any idea how the two could be related. 

“Math is extremely beneficial to all parts of life, Oliver, no-maj and wizard alike,” Felicity frowns with a small pout and Oliver chuckles, nodding his head. 

“I’ll take your word for it,” He chuckles, shaking his head, totally baffled by how smitten he is with this girl already. 

“I’ll do some research, meet me at the pitch tomorrow morning same time!” She calls as she turns and heads into the hall, looking back at Oliver over her shoulder. 

“I... okay,” He blinks after her, totally confused but excited at the same time. He doesn’t know how this will help him convince his dad he’s good enough to go pro, but at the very least, he’ll get to spend more time with Felicity, and he’ll never begrudge that. 


End file.
